Bm    Gbm    E7    G  D


[Verse 1]
D
In the back hills of Kentucky, I was raised
              A        D
In a shack on Big Bone Mountain
                             Bm
Born into poverty, bathed in misery
G             D
  The times I went hungry you can’t count ‘em

[Chorus 1]
          Bm                                  D
Where the cold winds blow and the crops don’t grow
G         A               D
  A man’s tired of livin’ when he’s twenty
G       D                    A
  I was diggin’ hard coal at twelve years old
D           A      D      D
Way down in Harlan County

[Verse 2]
D
Mama tried hard, poor ol’ Daddy got tired
                    A          D
Couldn’t even get a job with a shotgun
                             Bm
One winter I was out cuttin’ kindlin’
    Em           A         D
The news came to Mama that mornin’

[Chorus 2]
           Bm
They had a penny ante poker game down at the junction
N.C.
Big Jack caught Daddy cheatin’ and he shot him over fifteen cents
D                           D
To buy a loaf of bread with

[Post-Chorus]
       Gbm
(Swing low sweet chariot)
N.C.
We are gathered here today to ask the Lord
   G              A      D      D
To take us out of Harlan County

[Verse 3]
D
Mama married Willie, he stood five-six
                             A         D
His brother was a shovelin a coal mine pick
         Bm                                D
With the heart of a lion and the soul of a man
D         N.C.
He worked twelve hours a day
N.C.
Seven days ever’ week
N.C.
Forty days ever’ month
              A         D        D
Diggin’ for a bone in a hillside

[Chorus 3]
        Bm             Am         Bm
Where a little child’s dream is a new pair of shoes
   G               A                D      D
To keep its little feet warm in the winter
                           A
But dreams they don’t ever come true, I know
G           A      D      D
Way down in Harlan County

[Verse 4]
Eb
  You know what I did folks?
               Ab
I'm gonna tell ya
  Eb
I put a shirt on my back and a brown paper sack
                  Bb          Eb        Ab
A big piece of my Mama’s cold cornbread
  Eb
I hit the road Jack forgot to look back
Ab         Bb                  Eb        Eb
  I walked all the way down to somewhere

[Chorus 4]
     Ab
I’ve been all over this whole wide world
                          Eb
I’ve slept on a northwest mountain
                   Bb
The coldest place, Lord, I’ve ever seen
       Ab            Bb     Eb     Eb
Is the hills back in Harlan County

[Post chorus]
       Gm
(Swing low sweet chariot)
N.C.
Everybody bow their heads in prayer - ask the Lord
   Ab             Bb     Eb     Ab Eb Ab
To take us out of Harlan County

[Outro]
Eb             Ab
Lord would you please
Eb             Ab
Let your light shine
Eb             Ab     Eb    Ab    Eb
Let your light shi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-
   Ab    Eb     Ab Eb
Hi-ih-ih-hiine..
Eb
Let your light, shine on